Share this:

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver offers a thumbs-down statement on the National Rifle Association’s rather tumultuous Friday-morning news conference, where Wayne LaPierre proposed a national registry for the mentally ill, and a sweeping program to place armed guard in every public school. LaPierre also assailed the media, Hollywood, violent video games and more.

Silver’s take:

The NRA’s response to the tragic events in Newtown is deeply disturbing and underscores just how far out of touch they are from reality and the concerns of most Americans. The answer to gun violence on our street corners, in our shopping centers and in our schools is not more guns. The answer is stronger gun laws and a dramatic expansion of mental health services.

New York can and must be a leader in developing a solution. I am hopeful in the coming weeks the Senate will join together with the Assembly and Governor Cuomo to pass meaningful legislation that will begin to change the culture of gun violence in our society.

While we’re at it, here’s the assessment of Rep Carolyn McCarthy, who intends to carry Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s new assault weapons ban legislation in the House with Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo.:

“I’m saddened by what I saw today, because the NRA’s leadership had an opportunity to help unite the nation behind efforts to reduce gun violence and avert massacres like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary School but it instead showed a disconnect between it and the majority of the American people.

“The American people – including many of our nation’s law-abiding gun owners – are crying out for solutions that will help stop these mass murders before they start. GOP pollster Frank Luntz found that 74 percent of NRA members support keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people through background checks. And a CNN/ORC International poll found that six out of 10 Americans support a ban on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.

“There are answers to these cries in Congress right now. The Fix Gun Checks Act, which I sponsor in the House of Representatives, closes the dangerous gun show loophole and strengthens the database used in our background checks. I also sponsor legislation to ban high-capacity magazines and will be introducing an updated assault weapons ban with Senator Dianne Feinstein of California and Congressman Ed Perlmutter of Colorado in January.

“I support a holistic approach to our complex and tragic problem with gun violence, including not just looking at school security but at counseling, after school programs, our mental health and juvenile justice systems, and, like the majority of Americans, the safety restrictions we put on some of the most dangerous consumer products in the world.

“The Second Amendment is the law of the land, but it was never intended to enable the mass murder of innocent children. Like cars, food, medicine and many other consumer products, gun ownership should be subject to safety regulations designed to protect innocent Americans.

“I know that the American people – including many gun owners – are heartbroken and fed up with the gun violence we’ve seen recently at an elementary school, a shopping mall, a temple, a movie theater, a supermarket parking lot, and on countless American streets every single day. I’m committed to working with anyone, including the NRA, willing to help save lives and look forward to continuing this conversation with the American people.”

From Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, D-Bronx:

“I am appalled but not surprised at the NRA’s reaction at their press conference this morning. They have not offered one sensible solution in the aftermath of this tragedy and the many other tragedies that have swept our nation over the past several months, stated Assemblyman Dinowitz.

“As far as I’m concerned the NRA has blood on their hands,” Mr. Dinowitz added. “They have been the single biggest impediment to passing anti-gun violence legislation in the United States. Thousands and thousands of people die each year due to gun violence and the NRA is not only not part of the solution, they are the problem. This weak proposal doesn’t do anything to prevent people who shouldn’t have guns from gaining access to them.”

From state Education Commissioner John B. King:

“Today’s statements from the gun lobby are nothing but a distraction. The epidemic of gun violence — particularly against young people — all across the United States calls out for common sense gun control and a more thoughtful response to the mental health needs of our citizens.”

About Capitol Confidential

Capitol Confidential gathers the best coverage of New York politics and puts it all together. Each section - Capitol, The State Worker, New York on the Potomac, and Voices - represents a unique facet of the political scene. The Capitol section features coverage from the Times Union Capitol bureau. The State Worker is dedicated to state worker issues. New York on the Potomac offers news of interest to New Yorkers from Washington. And Voices features the best of everything else, pointing you to columnists and bloggers from across the Web.